1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a luggage compartment structure for vehicles, and, more particularly, to a structure for a luggage compartment located behind a rear seats in an automobile that is one of typical vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of automotive vehicles that are one of typical vehicles, structural designs of vehicle bodies have been proposed for the purpose of accomplishing a comfortable environment for passengers in a limited dwelling space of an automotive vehicle body and also for the purpose of realizing efficient luggage storage for various luggage. In one of examples of the structural designs, a tray for luggage storage is provided below a luggage compartment located at rear part of a wagon-type vehicle so as to be is accessible from behind the vehicle body. Such a vehicle body structure is known from, for example, Japanese Laid Open Utility Model Publication No. 6-6106.
However, the prior art rear luggage storage tray is constructed as an integral part with port f the rear bumper of the vehicle, so that the structural rigidity of the vehicle body is diminished. This possibly provides the vehicle body with aggravation of safety.
In addition, the prior art rear luggage storage tray limits access thereto to a position behind the vehicle body. The vehicle body has the same luggage storage capacity of the rear luggage compartment in spite of employing the luggage storage tray or not. Therefore, the height of luggage that can be stored in the rear luggage compartment is limited by the vertical distance between a floor and a roof of the vehicle body at the rear part of the vehicle body. For example, there is a constraint on storing bulky luggage such as a potted plant that is undesirable to be put in the luggage compartment in a laying position.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a rear luggage compartment structure for vehicle bodies, which provides superior vehicle structural rigidity of the vehicle body and a superior luggage storage capability.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a rear luggage compartment structure for vehicle bodies, which has a superior luggage storage capacity and is capable of storing bulky luggage therein without putting it in a laying position.
The above objects of the present invention is achieved by a rear luggage compartment structure for a vehicle having a rear bumper. The rear luggage compartment is provided by a rear section of a floor panel partly depressed downward. The luggage compartment is provided with an opening and closing structure for access to the luggage compartment from the exterior of the vehicle body under the rear bumper.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rear luggage compartment structure includes a bumper reinforcement which is disposed on an inside of an outer shell of the rear bumper and extends in a transverse direction of the vehicle body and under which the opening and closing structure of the rear luggage compartment is located. Further, the depressed part of the floor panel may be covered with, for example, a cover member as an opening and closing structure. This opening and closing structure allows the vehicle body with two luggage compartments on the bottom of the depressed part of the floor panel while the cover member is closed.
In any structures, the rear luggage compartment is provided with a luggage storage component such as a storage case and a storage tray that is separate from the vehicle body. This luggage storage component may be able to slid back and forth in a lengthwise direction of the vehicle body so as to received in and pulled out of the rear luggage compartment due to the opening and closing structure. In this instance, the luggage storage component preferably has a rear end in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle body that is exposed to the exterior of the vehicle body and is even and continuous with the outer shell of the rear bumper while it is received in the rear luggage compartment.
Further, in accordance with another preferred embodiment, the opening and closing structure of the rear luggage compartment comprises a luggage storage component that is separate from the vehicle body and can slid back and forth in the lengthwise direction; a first lock/unlock mechanism that unlocks the luggage storage component to allow slide movement of the luggage storage component through a specified distance in the lengthwise direction and locks the luggage storage component for access to prohibit the slide movement of the luggage storage component through the specified distance, and a second lock/unlock mechanism that locks the luggage storage component in an access position where the luggage storage component is accessed and unlocks the luggage storage component to allow further slide movement of the luggage storage component toward the back of the vehicle body from the access position.
In this case, the first lock/unlock mechanism may include remote control means for remotely causing the first lock/unlock mechanism to unlock the luggage storage component. The second lock/unlock mechanism may be preferably manually operated to unlock the luggage storage component.
Further, in any cases, the first lock/unlock mechanism may include urging means for urging the luggage storage component backward while it is received in the rear luggage compartment and locked.
In accordance with still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rear luggage compartment structure has a first rear luggage compartment over rear part of a floor panel of a vehicle body, a generally box-shaped second rear luggage compartment which is formed below the first rear luggage compartment by rear part of a floor panel depressed downward, and a generally box-shaped trunk case received in said generally box-shaped second rear luggage compartment which is accessible from the first rear luggage compartment for removal from the second rear luggage compartment.
The generally box-shaped second rear luggage compartment is preferably positioned in the same vertical height from the ground as the rear bumper disposed at the back of the vehicle body. The rear luggage compartment structure may further comprises a bumper reinforcement disposed on a front side of the outer shell of the rear bumper in the lengthwise direction and a rear end frame disposed between the bumper reinforcement and the generally box-shaped trunk case. The rear end frame extends in the transverse direction and has a cross section closed in the lengthwise direction.
In any s rear luggage compartment structures, a third rear luggage compartment may be formed between the said generally box-shaped trunk case received in the second rear luggage compartment and the rear part of said floor panel depressed downward. The third rear luggage compartment is capable of opening so as to allow external access thereto from the back of the vehicle body.
The present invention can accomplish the rear luggage compartment structure for vehicle bodies, which has superior body rigidity and superior luggage storage capability. Specifically, because the rear luggage compartment is accessible from below the rear bumper, both structural rigidity and storage capability of the rear luggage compartment of the vehicle body are realized without employing divided structure of rear bumper. In addition, because the rear luggage compartment is accessible at a vertical position lower than general rear luggage compartments which are situated over a floor mat, the convenience of loading luggage is improved.
In the case the rear luggage compartment structure of the present invention is installed in a wagon type vehicle bodies, the double-stories luggage compartment structure which provides a rear luggage compartment over a floor mat which is continuous with a passenger compartment and a luggage compartment below the floor mat realizes multifarious storage-forms of luggage depending upon preference of users. This rear luggage compartment structure provides the users with a better feeling of design.
The rear luggage compartment structure is devised so that the first lock/unlock mechanism is remotely operated to unlock the trunk case and the second lock/unlock mechanism locking the trunk case is manually operated to unlock the trunk case, as a result of which, the operability and safety of the trunk case. Moreover, when the first lock/unlock mechanism is operated to unlock the trunk case, it forces the trunk case rearward to open the trunk case, so that the operability can be further enhanced.
The present invention can further accomplish the rear luggage compartment structure for vehicle bodies, which provides a rear luggage compartment capable of storing bulky luggage therein without putting it in a laying position. Specifically, the rear luggage compartment structure increases the storage capacity of the rear luggage compartment by providing a second rear luggage compartment. Furthermore, even though the rear luggage compartment structure employs a floor panel that is partly depressed, it prevents the vehicle body from encountering a decrease in structural rigidity by using a removable trunk case received in the second rear luggage compartment since external impact applied to the depressed part of the floor panel is sustained by the trunk case. Furthermore, the rear luggage compartment structure with the trunk case remaining removed provides a deep storage area in the rear luggage compartment by the depressed part of the floor panel, so that it makes it possible to store bulky luggage without putting it in a laying position. This improves the storage convenience of the rear luggage compartment. The rear luggage compartment structure places the trunk case even in the vertical height from the ground with the rear bumper. The trunk case sustains external impact applied to the rear bumper and absorbs it and transmits it partly to the vehicle body therethrough. This provides an increase in impact absorbing capability.
The rear luggage compartment structure includes a bumper reinforcement and a rear end frame disposed between the bumper reinforcement and the trunk case. This rear compartment structure transmits external impact applied to the rear bumper to the bumper reinforcement, the rear end frame and the trunk case in steps, so as to effectively absorb the external impact to the vehicle body. This provides safety of the passenger upon an occurrence of a rear crash due to increased impact absorbing capability.
In the case where the structure has a third rear luggage compartment, it provides multifarious storage-forms of luggage depending upon preference of users and convenient access to luggage without opening a lift gate.